April 10, 2023 | Derailment, East Palestine-NS, FRA, Headlines, PSR, Railroad Safety
(Source: Associated Press, April 7, 2023) “Think about going thru undulating territory sort of like a Slinky. You’re either trying to keep it stretched out or you’re trying to keep it all bunched together to control the forces from going in and out because that’s what...
April 10, 2023 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation, PSR, Railroad Safety
(Source: Freight Waves, April 6, 2023) Two popular issues among rail unions — train lengths and train crew sizes — have gained traction in state legislatures, with a bill in the Nevada legislature limiting train lengths and a provision requiring train crew sizes of at...
April 6, 2023 | Headlines, Legislation, PSR, Railroad Safety
(Source: Nevada Independent, April 5, 2023) Sponsored by the Assembly Committee on Growth and Infrastructure, AB456 would look to cut down on the size of trains that can often reach or exceed 3 miles long and weigh more than 60 million pounds — “monster trains” that...
April 6, 2023 | 2-man Crews, East Palestine-NS, News, Railroad Safety
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, April 6 — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed the state’s $13.5 billion transportation budget into law on Friday, March 31. The bill includes a mandate for two-person train crews and other important rail safety measures in response to Norfolk...
April 5, 2023 | 2-man Crews, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Freight Waves, April 4, 2023) Lawmakers from Pennsylvania and Ohio have introduced another rail safety bill in Congress that addresses rail car inspections and maintenance and calls for the Federal Railroad Administration to examine the causes of and...
April 5, 2023 | FRA, Headlines, NTSB, Railroad Safety
(Source: Freight Waves, April 3, 2023) The Federal Railroad Administration is going ahead with a proposed rule that would ensure that the train crews involved in transporting hazardous materials have access to protective equipment should they need to respond to an...
April 5, 2023 | FRA, Headlines, NTSB, Railroad Safety
(Source: Progressive Railroading, April 3, 2023) National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy commended a newly proposed rule that would provide emergency escape breathing equipment for crew members on freight trains carrying hazardous materials....
April 5, 2023 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Progressive Farmer, April 3, 2023) The Rail Safety Act of 2023 was introduced in the Senate on March 1, 2023. Since that date, there was a hearing to discuss the act, but, so far, it has not moved forward in the Senate. According to The Hill, the Senate...
April 3, 2023 | Headlines, PSR, Railroad Safety
(Source: ProPublica, April 3, 2023) Driven by the efficiency goals of precision scheduled railroading, companies are forgoing long-held safety precautions, such as assembling trains to distribute weight and risk or taking the proper time to inspect them. Instead,...
March 31, 2023 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Associated Press, March 29, 2023) Rail safety measures proposed after the February train derailment and toxic chemical burn in East Palestine are closer to becoming law in Ohio, as part of a nearly $13.5 billion transportation budget that cleared the...